Pradaxa is one of the most popular anticoagulants, or blood thinning drugs, currently available on the market. Millions of U.S. patients have taken Pradaxa, but the drug has also been linked with some serious problems.

Patients have reported severe bleeding while on Pradaxa. This may manifest as external, internal, or even intracranial bleeding, any of which can become life-threatening.

Thousands of Pradaxa users have filed product liability lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturer, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, alleging that the company failed to warn about the serious risk of bleeding while on Pradaxa.

These Pradaxa lawsuits allege that the company failed to adequately warn the public, patients, and the medical community about the potential for bleeding while on Pradaxa that has affected so many of its users. Pradaxa lawsuits allege that the manufacturer either knew or should have known about the risk of bleeding while on Pradaxa, and had a responsibility to warn consumers to prevent potential injuries, but failed in this responsibility. As a result, lawsuits claim, patients that could have avoided these side effects by taking a safer alternative ended up bleeding while on Pradaxa.

Background of Pradaxa

Pradaxa (also known by its generic name, dabigatran) is a widely used anticoagulant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals and first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2010, just seven years ago. New blood thinning drugs have been introduced to the market in the last few years to begin replacing warfarin, which has been the standard for decades.

Pradaxa is one of these new anticoagulants, and its use has quickly skyrocketed. Around 3.7 million U.S. patients have chosen Pradaxa, just a few years after it entered the market. The severe downside to this is that millions of Pradaxa users may be at risk of suffering from serious bleeding while on Pradaxa, given the widespread usage of the drug.

Side Effects: Bleeding While on Pradaxa

Any anticoagulant (blood-thinner) can cause excessive bruising and bleeding; that in and of itself is not a particular risk of Pradaxa. This kind of bleeding while on Pradaxa can create some serious problems should a patient suffer major internal bleeding from an accident, in which case the bleeding can become much more serious.

When a patient is not on an anticoagulant, their body combats bleeding by forming a clot. But with an anticoagulant added into the mix, the body can’t form these life-saving clots, making bleeding while on Pradaxa a potentially deadly problem.

For five years, Pradaxa didn’t even have an antidote to reverse the effects of the anticoagulant, allowing blood clots to form. During this period of time, patients were put at even further risk of bleeding while on Pradaxa—its effects couldn’t be reversed.

Excessive bleeding while on Pradaxa can lead to brain hemorrhaging or even death. Indeed, over 500 of the 3,781 reported Pradaxa bleeding problems in 2011 ultimately led to fatalities.

Moreover, Pradaxa does not require frequent blood monitoring, which has long been required for those taking warfarin. While lack of monitoring may seem like a convenience to users, Pradaxa bleeding problems indicate that frequent blood monitoring may actually be necessary to prevent these side effects.

Filing a Pradaxa Lawsuit

If you or someone you know has taken Pradaxa and has subsequently experienced major side effects such as excessive bleeding while on Pradaxa or even brain hemorrhaging, you may have cause for filing a Pradaxa lawsuit. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by Pradaxa side effects, but it can help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by medical expenses and lost wages.